I love discovering a new
artist that takes everything I love about a
particular genre, smashes those ideas to pieces, and
re-arranges them in a way that sounds fresh and
foreign When it comes to electronic music;
specifically drum-n-bass, dubstep and deep tech
house, some of the sonic attributes I love most
about those styles are when artists find ways to
create unique basslines, a vast sense of openness,
wide-open ambient sound-fields if you will, and new
compositions that just don't sound like anything
else when I first hear them. Sure, as I listen more
I begin to think of musical equivalents and start
drawing comparisons, but hearing a track (or tracks)
that feels new is a thrill. Sometimes an all-out
assault on the senses via some down-and-dirty
electronic music is a meditative experience for me.
Hearing Eskmo's Cloudlight album for the
first time was a revelation. It sounded completely
foreign, and it was addictive. You know; when you
find a new record and you love it so much you hit
the repeat button more times than anybody around you
for extended periods of time could ever want? We
must've played Cloudlight over a hundred
times in my house (my wife loved it too) when we
first got the CD. I still listen to it at least once
a week and that LP is two years old! With his newly
released Language EP Eskmo has concocted more
electronic ear-candy for the sonic adventurist.

"I Just Want" strays a
bit from Eskmo's often intense smattering of edgy
drum machined madness. It's a fluid progression of
stripped down drum loops, vocoderized (or
auto-tuned, I'm not sure) vocal samples and dark
synth pads and stabs. It's a spacey soundtrack that
would be a fantastic sonic backdrop for one of those
extended high end luxury sports car commercials they
sometimes play at a movie theater before the
previews. Sorry Dirty Vegas. "Days Go By" doesn't
have shit on this wicked EP. The opening to "1996"
is also a bit of a departure for Eskmo with its laid
back, pitch-shifting Stevie Reich-like synth lines.
Of course that doesn't last long. His trademark
metallic-sounding bass notes swoop in behind a
massive kick drum, building energy as these hovering
keys weave in and out of the pounding low-end. There
are a couple of breakdowns that remind me of the
film Groove, and while I felt the movie fell
short of all its hype, it did attempt to offer a
glimpse into the underground rave scene back in day.
The breaks in the energy remind me of the scenes
that focused on the DJ's during their mixes, the
transitions throughout their live sets. Sometimes
you have to give the crowd a short breather, and
Eskmo does so here.

"Soul Music" is a
head-knocker. It's the kind of track that you could
dance to, do the dishes, or just sit back and nod
your head to the beat. Its funky rhythms are framed
by these trance elements that are far from cheesy.
Sometimes Euro-trance just sounds way too commercial
for my taste. This is the music some of those trance
DJs would produce if they had soul. It's anthemic,
but doesn't go over the top. Eskmo brings out his
twisted side on "Lifeline", sounding like a modern
day mix of Kraftwerk and Amon Tobin. The
interestingly titled "Oh In This World of Dread,
Carry On" closes out the EP in style. This one is
tough to encapsulate. If you can imagine taking the
android sounds of early Mocean Worker (think Star
Wars androids), toss in some bright, uplifting music
you might hear at the end of an epic film and mix it
up with a dash of Underworld you're halfway there.
The bottom line is, while I think this EP is
fantastic, it's a tease! It left me wanting more
from Eskmo, which is one of the things a good EP
should do. If this type of experimental electronic
music is up your alley I highly recommend giving it
a listen. You can stream the whole Language EP
and purchase it at
eskmo.com, where you pick your price ($1.00,
$3.00, or $5.00) and you can download it in MP3 (320
kbs) or .WAV.